Mail call!|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Northen Light36]

Walking into his study, Shadow read the letter in his hand once, twice, three times, before Flash glanced up from the desk, noticed his boss' expression and hastily plucked the letter from Shadow's grip before it ended up in the fire. Some how he doubted it was simply another whining complaint from the nobles. Even the court had SOME sense of self preservation.

Realising he was rambling in his head to stall, Flash read the letter and swore - summing up Shadow's feelings perfectly. "Lya hasn't seen this yet?" he asked.

"Have you heard of the tresurer trying to strangle her yet?" Shadow replied dryly.

Flash managed a slight chuckle, at least if Shadow was maintaining something of a sense of humour he wouldn't have to worry about the King dashing off, sword in hand, to do something noble, and stupid. "Well, I do have an idea about this but I doubt you, or Lya, will like-," he began, cutting himself off a fraction too late as Lya walked in.

[Kender Bard]

"Will like what, Flash?" Lya asked quietly. The Queen looked mostly a mess. her wings had lost the shine on her feathers as stress took its toll. She managed to sleep at nights, but only by a constant dosing by Angel to achieve it, so sometimes her eyes had a slightly glazed look. It being the middle of the day, however, she seemed all too alert.

[Northen Light36]

Shadow and Flash exchanged looks, but Flash reluctently passed over the the note to Lya. "This just arrived, Lya," he told her. "I think you should sit down before you read it."

[Kender Bard]

Lya gave Flash a sharp look and then settled down on a seat as she began to read. His advice was good, she trembled from head to toe by the end of the letter. "What do we do?" she asked, voice shaking. "If we just pay won't they take her and run away again?"

[Northen Light36]

"It's possible," Flash agrees. "Likely, in fact. Which is why I'm going suggest two things... That we let Ekaitz win this little 'bidding war' and that I show this letter to Lady Sanderson."

"Explain," Shadow replied in a quiet, controlled voice that Flash reconised as being very, very dangerous.

"IF Lumi is sold to Ekaitz, Sombra won't be able to resist rubbing it in your face, Shadow," he explains quickly. "We will know where Lumi is and be able to go and retrieve her. Sombra's more likely to gloat and try manipulating you then she is to actually hurt Lumi. And as for Lady Sanderson, well, the Guild has always had a low tolerance of bandits and often make sport out of hunting bandit groups down. The guild could look for this Bandit Lord without anyone linking us to the search, therefore not putting Lumi in any danger."

[Kender Bard]

"The last time Sombra had my daughter..." Lya said slowly, her voice almost hoarse with anger and emotion. "The last time... she hurt Luminous. And there is nothing to guarantee she won't slit Luminous' throat to spite us. I won't take that risk."

[Northen Light36]

"Neither will I," Shadow replies. "And that is final, Flash. We won't take that option."

"Fine," Flash snaps, finally letting his own frustration and irritation at the situation out. "Then by all means, continue draining Maelstrom dry while this man plays tag with you and laughs. I am going to talk to the guild, however, since they are probably our best chance of finding Lumi."

[Kender Bard]

"If you can offer a better solution than leaving Luminous to be bait in the hands of a murderous madwoman, then do tell me," Lya snapped back. "Now, I would like to speak with my husband alone a moment."

[Northen Light36]

"My pleasure," Flash snaps, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Suddenly he wishes he knew where the Maelstrom guild was and was still a member. A free drink or six would be very welcome. Instead he goes to take out his frustration on a practice dummy.\

Inside the study, Shadow rubs his head to ward off an oncoming headache. "He's just worried and frustrated, Lya. We all are. I'll talk to him about his tone later, though."

[Kender Bard]

Lya didn't dissuade him. There was a time to be an intimate friend, with all the informality that entailed, and a time to draw the line and be professional and she'd felt Flash had leapt nicely over that line. She wasn't in the mood to be nice in return.

Instead she went to Shadow and put her arms around him, holding him tight, glad for his presence to keep her own flagging will bolstered. "What are we going to do?" she asked quietly. "I don't think we really can afford to keep paying people to hold Luminous safely. I was thinking... perhaps there might be a way to trick them? But I'm loathe to take chances where our daughter's life is concerned."

[Northen Light36]

"I don't know," Shadow sighes, leaning on Lya slightly. For the first time since this mess had begun, Shadow lets his mask slip and the strain start to show. Stress, fear and anger are all taking their toll on the King and for the first time in years he looks every bit his age. "I just don't know, Lya. This situation requires a clear head, but I can't think of anything but my little girl, alone and in the hands of strangers. And I see what this is doing to you, Lya, and all I can think is that I might lose the two most important people in my life and all because I. Wasn't. Here."

Guilt, anger and self-loathing taint Shadow's tone at those last three words.

[Kender Bard]

"We couldn't have known," Lya murmured, holding him tighter as she brought her wings around to cup around him. "I'm just glad you insisted I stay home. There was nothing that we could have done... A Mind, in the night. How do we stop that?"

She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. "We do need a cool head. I think we should contact Laura and Saph and ask their opinions."

[Northen Light36]

Shadow sighes and nods in agreement. "I agree," he replies. "And Flash may have a point about the Melissan girl and her... friends. They could be useful if they know anything about this so called 'bandit lord' and where we might find him."

[Kender Bard]

"Aye," Lya agreed lightly. "Now do we go to the Calders or should I ask that the Calders come to us?"

[Northen Light36]

"I think it'd probably be best if they came here," Shadow replies. "Since we're a bit short on time, do you think we should ask Thelon if he or someone he knows would be willing to bring them here?"